


repose

by green_piggy



Series: heading home again [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cats, Fluff, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post Game, can be read on its own as long as you don't mind a cat appearing out of absolutely nowhere, i'm posting this at 2am jesus fuck why do i do this to myself, just two dudes being dudes, tbh i'm happy enough with this and i like to share my writing So
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 20:05:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17967149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green_piggy/pseuds/green_piggy
Summary: “Don’t put your boots on the bottom,” Ignis called from the kitchen. “Not unless you wish for them to become Mr. Stripey’s next chewing toy.”“How do you…” Gladiolus sighed, but not without fondness. He dangled them from his fingers and dropped them on top of Ignis’ shoes-“And don’t leave them on top of mine.”“You’re blind,” Gladiolus muttered. “How do you do that?”“Gladio, I’ve known you for more than twenty years. I’d be more surprised if I didn’t know your habits.” A pause, then: “And you do enjoy winding me up.”--Gladiolus and Ignis enjoy a quiet moment at Ignis's house with Ignis's highly esteemed (and absolutely not spoiled) cat, Mr. Stripey.





	repose

**Author's Note:**

> i've had several little ideas for short drabbles/one-shots related to _your place in the family of things,_ and that fic seems to have been received fairly well, so. here we are.
> 
> (and thank you so SO much for your support again!!! it really does mean the world)
> 
> it's just a fact of life that every three or so months ffxv comes into your house screaming and yelling and makes you curl up on the ground while crying
> 
>  
> 
> [fic title was inspired by this gorgeous song, which i listened to non-stop while writing, if you want to check it out!](https://youtu.be/MhPHCbFyCCs)
> 
>  
> 
> so, yeah. have this little piece. i might write more in the future haha, we'll see, but i hope y'all enjoy! <3 as always, kudos and comments are awesome

“Your cat _chirps,”_ Gladiolus murmured. He tried not to pet it, he really did, but all Mr. Stripey had to do was stare at him, and Gladiolus was bent down, stroking the little guy. “Pretty friendly, too.”

Ignis’s lips curved into a smile, a gesture he’d seen occur more over the last couple of months than he had for the last ten years. He stripped off his boots, sliding them onto a shoe rack - of _course_ he had a shoe rack - and gave Gladiolus a look from the corner of his scarred eye. “Do take your shoes off, if you would be so kind.”

“Pretty sure you’d stomp me with ‘em if I didn’t.” Mr. Stripey released a deafening agonised cry as Gladiolus removed his hand. He paused, hand in the air - the cat raised itself slightly on its hind legs to bump its head against Gladiolus’s palm. “Y’know, if your cat left me alone for five seconds-”

“He’s only being friendly. Don’t be mean.”

“So the exact opposite of his owner, huh?”

Ignis snorted. “Ah, yes, welcoming my closest friend to my home. What an act of cruelty.”

Gladiolus couldn’t help his grin, his heart warming at Ignis’ words. Finally managing to get Mr. Stripey off of him for more than a second, each of his boots _thumped_ the ground as he peeled them off. He had to fold them over to squeeze them under the bottom shelf of the rack.

“Don’t put your boots on the bottom,” Ignis called from the kitchen. “Not unless you wish for them to become Mr. Stripey’s next chewing toy.”

“How do you…” Gladiolus sighed, but not without fondness. He dangled them from his fingers and dropped them on top of Ignis’ shoes-

“And _don’t_ leave them on top of mine.”

“You’re _blind_ ,” Gladiolus muttered. “How do you _do_ that?”

“Gladio, I’ve known you for more than twenty years. I’d be more surprised if I _didn’t_ know your habits.” A pause, then: “And you _do_ enjoy winding me up.”

“Yeah, yeah, like you’re any better.” He slid his boots into a space next to Ignis’s. As soon as he’d done so, Mr. Stripey returned with another chirp. It was as if someone had shoved a bird into a cat’s body; truth be told, it was far from the strangest thing Gladiolus had ever come across.

The whistle of a kettle shrilled. Knowing the routine, Gladiolus made his way into the kitchen and sat himself at the bare table. Ignis had never had much use for decorations or household objects, even before he lost all visual ability to appreciate them. The table itself was starting to rot at the legs, but it was sturdy and would hold for a while longer.

The kettle clicked as steam poured from its funnel. Gladiolus knew better than to offer Ignis aid. Instead, he ran his knuckles over the knots and gnarled grains in the wood, listening to the _knock knock_ his hand made.

Ignis grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge and set out two cups. With practiced ease, his fingers curved around the indented sugar tin. He dumped two teaspoons of sugar into one cup, three into the other, and was quick in finishing off the tea.

Even without sight, he was more graceful than most people Gladiolus knew. He curved his foot around the chair’s leg and tugged it out for him to sit in. He slid the cup with two sugars to Gladiolus’s side.

“Thanks, Iggy.”

“Anytime.”

In silence they sat, each enjoying their drink, until Gladiolus’s gaze went to the world outside of Ignis’s little home.

“Pretty nice day outside,” he murmured, more to himself than for anyone else’s ears,

Ignis went still.

“...Describe it to me.”

“Hmm?”

“The view outside.” Ignis’ fingers curled around his cup, head ducked. Just slightly, but for someone as reserved as Ignis, he might as well have had his head resting on crossed arms on the table. “If I may be so selfish as to ask.”

“Oh, yeah, askin’ me to describe something you can’t see and that we spent ten years fighting for. Truly the height of selfishness.” Gladiolus sighed. “You’re one of the _least_ selfish people I know, Iggy. Don’t put yourself down so much.”

Ignis’ lips thinned. “Curious. My therapist told me the same thing.”

“Must be some merit in it.”

“Hmm.” A gentle _clank_ as Ignis’s cup rested on the table. “Describe it then, please.”

Gladiolus leaned against the back of his chair. It gave a low creak as he craned his head back to look at the view outside.

Back in the old Insomnia, before… _everything_ , this would have just been another ordinary view. Gladiolus wouldn’t have been grateful for the sun outside, for the dotting of clouds, for the warmth he could feel on his face. All he had ever done was grumble and get on with his life, one day after the other, never stopping to be thankful for everything they had all taken for granted.

“The sky’s identical to what it was before.” He didn’t need to specify ‘before’. “Few clouds in the sky… none of them are blocking the sun, though.” His voice softened. “You can feel it, right?”

“ _Mmmhm_.” Ignis had his eyes shut, hands clasped over his stomach, head resting on the back of his chair. It was similar to the pose he’d taken many times, when Gladiolus would catch him napping while in the middle of work. He seemed to have mostly stopped that habit; maybe now, he was actually getting enough rest. “I can.”

“The sky’s pretty blue. Like… uh… warm ice.”

An arched eyebrow. “You’d think you’d be better at descriptions, with all the books you read.”

“Ha, ha, _ha.”_ Gladiolus rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. “Well… the sunlight’s bouncing off the construction machines, this time of day. And there’s the odd person walking past… there’s a kid with two women. And there goes a guy on their phone, looking pretty stressed out. The park’s ahead, but the rusted fence makes it hard to tell if anyone’s inside.” He shrugged. “I mean, it’s a nice day. I’d be surprised if people _weren’t_ inside.” _We fought for this,_ Gladiolus thought _, and it’s paid off. It was worth every single second._

“Hmm.” Ignis’s eyebrows relaxed from their small frown. “...Thank you, Gladio.”

A gentle _chirp chirp chirp_. Ignis was already smiling, stretching out a hand towards the ground. Gladiolus leaned forward and peered around the table, breaking into his own smile once he saw the scene; Mr. Stripey, making little delighted continuous chirps as it brushed its head against Ignis’ fingers. Seconds later, Mr. Stripey crouched his tiny little body, bottom shaking - Gladiolus’s heart was _melting_ \- before he leapt onto Ignis’s lap.

If Ignis was in pain from the sudden claws in his lap, he showed no sign of it. Indeed, his fingers rested on Mr. Stripey’s visibly purring body. Its loud purrs were the only noise in the silence, its paws kneading Ignis’ jeans before it curled them underneath itself and plopped its head down.

Gladiolus laughed.

“I _was_ gonna ask if you wanted to come with me to the shop, but…”

Ignis’ fingers curled around the ear with the magnificent black stripe. “I’m afraid I won’t be moving for quite a while.”

“Heh.” Gladiolus shut his eyes with a fond smile. “Figured as much.” Ready as always, he dove into his back pocket and took out his phone, smiling at the picture of him and Lauren before unlocking it. His home screen - a picture of the four of them, from so many years ago - beamed at him, and for a second, seeing all of them… so young, so innocent… it _ached_. It hurt like a poisoned wound left to fester, one that left a slight scar that could never fully heal.

But… one thing he had learnt, was that he couldn’t dwell in the past. Not when he had fought so hard for this future to become reality.

So he clicked on an application icon with a smile. “I managed to download a few of Geta’s books. If you want me to read something while we wait for His Meowjesty-” Ignis’s loud snort made Gladiolus grin- “then I can do that.”

Ignis was trying - and failing - to hide his grin behind his hand. After a few seconds, he abandoned his attempts, lowering both hands onto Mr. Stripey’s body. The cat made a surprised meow, but soon gave a content chirp and lowered its head again. “The same author of _‘Solheim’s Scandalous Secrets’?_ ”

“Honestly, Iggy, that still sounds more like… _y’know_. Anything _but_ a history book.”

Ignis’ cheeks coloured, just a little. “Their book titles may be… _questionable_ , but their content is second to none.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Especially when what you read _is_ …” Ignis’s lips quirked. “‘ _Y’know’_.”

“Hey.” Gladiolus waved his phone in Ignis’s direction. “Shut it, or no reading for you.”

“Hmph.”

“Alright, so I’ve got stuff about Niflheim’s history with religion-”

“What’s the source?”

“Well, Geta’s a Niff - _from_ Niflheim, right?”

Ignis’s face hardened. “Try to avoid using that word in public, if you would.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s a slur now, right?”

“Indeed. For quite good reason.”

“Definitely.” Gladiolus blew out a breath. “ _Anyway_. Yeah, they’re an author from Niflheim, so I think it’s a fair guess that it’s actually a decent source.”

“Excellent, then.” Ignis shifted slightly in his seat, most likely looking to get comfortable. His face grew uncertain. “If you’re certain you don’t mind reading..?”

“Wouldn’t have offered if I did.” Gladiolus crossed one leg over his lap and opened the file on his phone. “Alright, then, let’s get started.”

Quite a few hours passed like that, Gladiolus’s tea having long since grown cold as he read out loud. Ignis paid nothing but rapt attention, his hands never leaving Mr. Stripey’s body.

This peace, this quiet happiness… it still didn’t feel real. Some days, Gladiolus still expected to wake up to shrieking daemons and an eternal darkness almost as heavy as the darknesses each of them held within themselves.

“Something the matter, Gladio?” Ignis asked, head tilted up.

“Nothing, Iggy,” Gladiolus said. He watched citizens walk past the window, each of them in their own worlds, worlds that Gladiolus had helped to save, worlds that he would never know anything about.

And he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“Nothing at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks so much for reading to the end!
> 
>  
> 
> [i have a twitter! feel free to check it out~](https://twitter.com/greenpiggles)


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